In going through my early morning Sabbath ritual, which is to scroll through FB and exchange Sabbath greetings, this last Sabbath was different! The cares of the world infiltrated my wall, consuming Sabbath peace.
Between the reports of the Coronavirus and the impeachment trial, were the Shabbat Shalom memes. I've vacillated in my conviction of the computer on Sabbath, and yesterday caused me to revisit the idea of just leaving the computer off. I never check email or my business page, but I do enjoy music while reading sermon blogs and articles on various ministry sites. I used to leave it off, altogether, then I started a webpage introducing Sabbath to kids, so I was on the computer for that . . . only! Ultimately, that "only" has expanded.
In the years of my land radio show, I happened into Facebook. Finding Sabbath-keepers was a real blessing, but I sensed the potential for distraction right away. I had the wisdom, usually . . . to avoid distracting discussions, on Sabbath. I do, however; enjoy the Shabbat Shalom memes. Many of us have been long-standing Facebook friends and responding to the memes with a "Shabbat Shalom" in the comments feels like fellowship. I mentioned the word isolated earlier. For many of us, land fellowship on Sabbath is simply not feasible.
This past Shabbat, though, the FB feed was crowded with headlines, and the Sabbath greetings were sparse. Not only did I miss the greetings, the headlines were anything but peaceful! When I became aware that I was actually trying to focus on "ignoring all the links," that made those links, the focus. Remember when we were kids and someone said, "Don't think about the number 7" and it wouldn't leave our mind? It was quite similar, so I gave up looking for Sabbath memes . . . but the next thing I knew, I was analyzing politicians' motives and trying to determine if the coronavirus is bigger than we're being told or media fear-mongering. Crazy American politics and headlines of plagues continued to plague my peace. It was time to leave the page, get into the Word and listen to worship music!
The parable of the seeds flooded my thoughts. I was letting the thorns and thistles choke out my peace crop!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.
Isaiah 26:2
